Separating and restraining devices are often utilized in cargo carriers such as a truck, railcar, or the like. These devices can be used if dissimilar loads are to be separated from each other or can be used to prevent a load from moving or shifting in the carrier. Oftentimes, items that are extremely heavy cannot be loaded completely from the front to back and bottom to top of the truck because the load would exceed the maximum allowable weight that could be carried. As a result, bulkhead spacers may be utilized to create dead space in the truck, and a separating device is positioned against such spacers to restrain the load and prevent it from shifting into the dead space.
Typically, wood, airbag, corrugated and/or paper spacers have to be used which are not only heavy and/or expensive, but which are also difficult to transport and, therefore, are not reused, but are rather discarded after one use. Thus, the need exists for a device which can be used to separate and/or protect loads which is light weight, easy to install, easy to clean, easy to transport, and reusable, and yet strong enough to perform its desired function.